They felt the room again, the faces of their family coming into view. They steadied themselves, almost as if they were walking on land after being on a boat for weeks.
"What did you see?" Zeke asked, gripping his wife's hand.
Ben turned to his brother in law, answering for Michaela. "I think I know where Eden is."
"It looked like a warehouse, similar to where we found The Black Crow."
"Do you think he's working with them?" Grace asked, her mind and body still afraid of Daly and the things he was capable of. But to be honest Zeke, and Ben hadn't thought about him in weeks. His attacks felt like a lifetime ago. However, Mick still had nightmares.
She closed her eyes and saw her best friend's eyes go black.
She closed her eyes and saw the last breath she took before she left earth.
She closed her eyes, and only wanted to open them again.
"No. But we only saw Angelina and some of the others in the mirror." Ben replied. His attention was then turned to his sister as she tilted her head downwards, gripping the edge of the couch.
"You ok baby?" Zeke asked, voicing Ben's concern. She nodded, taking a big gulp as she attempted to get her stomach to settle. She closed her eyes, focusing on breathing through the feeling. "I'm fine. Nauseous."
"Lets go now." Olive stood up as she spoke, locking eyes with her family. "We've waited this long."
"Where are we going exactly?" Grace asked her husband as he drove around aimlessly, waiting to see something familiar.
"I know where I'm going just-" He stopped, his breath taken away at what he saw in front of him. He couldn't believe it.
"Can we hurry up or open a window? I'm gonna-"
"Shh!" Ben whispered as he cut his sister off. "Look."
They kept their heads down, staring at the large group of people in front of them.
There they were.
In the middle of what seemed to be some sort of ritual.
Adrian stood in front of a large bonfire. The other anti-stones were scattered in a circle all around it, dropping random things inside. Old clothes, papers, jewelry, even pictures. All torched in the flames.
"Now you must rid yourself of the sins of the past!" Adrian yelled to the antsy crowd. "The old you is now gone. It has passed away." They nodded along with him, taking his every word like a preacher at the pulpit... and man who he once used to be. "Now speak into your new selves. Become one with the rebirth of your souls."
Adrian spoke to these people with a confidence Ben had only seen when he was leading his cult church. He spoke to them as though he was the foremost authority over them. Like he knew what was best, and how to save them from eternal damnation. He was deranged and manipulative whether he believed what he was doing was right or not.
"Is he the leader of this… revolt?" Grace asked softly, trying to make sense of what was happening. "I thought he was done with all of this cult stuff?"
"Power hungry people are never done." Mick whispered.
They watched as the group's attention turned to the right, as a person who was missing from the group walked forward to join Adrian. The entire family gasped as they saw Angelina, who was also holding Eden in her grasp. There was a small smile on her face, as she met the faces of those opposite of her. The familiar soft smile made Olive reminisce. They were like family not long ago. Her timid stance now exchanged for one riddled with confidence, as if thinking she murdered someone gave her an edge instead of a nervous breakdown.
She didn't look the same.
Something inside of her had sparked as she held Eden proudly, as if she was bringing her to life. As if Eden was her only tie to earth.
It was evil.
It was otherworldly.
"Are you ready Sister Angelina?" Adrian asked. She nodded at his question, pulling out a half burnt picture. She stared at it for a moment, before bringing it to her lips and then holding it out towards the fire.
"Goodbye Pete."
Olive's face fell as she read Angelina's lips. Why would she ever burn that, and how could burning it bring her anything but sadness?
"She's burning THE picture. The one that led her to Pete!" She yelled. The family shushed her all at once, ducking down into the darkness of the car in an attempt to not be seen.
The group looked around, but seeing nothing they continued.
"We must do this quickly, and then head back to the top floor."
They barely heard what Adrian said, but Ben was able to make out the last bit. "The top floor?" He asked as he thought out loud.
Suddenly, he remembered what Gabriel had told him.
"They will be at the top floor of the building by 9pm. It is there they will devise their final plan. Go."
Ben ripped his glasses off, staring at his children in the back seat. He then gave Mick a look, letting her know what he was thinking. "We have to meet them on the top floor. Gabriel showed me in our calling."
They lifted their heads up, watching as Angelina let the picture go from her grip, the fire taking hold of it and engulfing it into its power.
"Now that you have cut your ties with your earthly past selves, you have become new people. Let us get ready for the next steps in eternity."
"Eternity?" Zeke whispered. "What do they mean by eternity?"
Mick and Ben felt themselves slip away, a calling drawing them back into some sort of dream state, Gabriel was showing them something.
"But the evil of The Fallen still lingers on this earth. Their souls hover back and forth like wisps, trapped between worlds. Their spirits still whisper in the ear of the human, causing them to walk astray from the path. "
"What?" Zeke asked his wife as she was brought back to reality.
"I didn't know what he meant then… but I get it now."
No one understood what she meant except for Ben, but that was really all she needed.
"Gabriel explained to us that there are fallen souls trapped on earth, and they can manipulate people and cause them to go astray."
Grace gave him a puzzled expression. "Like possession?"
"No, not exactly." Mick began to finish answering Grace's question, but stopped herself when she saw the group dispersing and going inside the building beside them.
It was time.
Ben looked back at his family, giving them a look of love and confidence as he placed his hand on Grace's thigh.
"Let's go get our daughter."
Hey all! Happy "Zeke beat the death date day!" It's insane that this was two whole years ago, I genuinely can't believe it! Big thanks to Jeff for not killing him off lol. Sorry to leave you off on this cliffhanger, (Or am I? lol) but this is setting up the next 2 chapters: "Mayday part 1 and 2." They are already turning out to be some of my favoriteee chapters, and I can't wait for you to read them!
As always, let me know what you thought about this chapter via here or my Twitter!
Love you all!
-The Color Gray
